We had the most wonderful vacation in Japan with our boys that are 5 (now 6) and 3 years old! I can definitely recommend going. We all had so many unique and fascinating experiences that it's hard to put words to it. I'm still in awe thinking about it.
I may have missed some details, but in broad strokes this was our itinerary for the trip.
27 Jan – Flight Stockholm → Amsterdam → Tokyo (Narita)
28 Jan – Tokyo (Ginza) – Arrival, hotel check-in, evening shopping and dinner in Ginza
29 Jan – Tokyo (Shinjuku) – Explore Shinjuku, visit Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (free view), playground at Shinjuku Chuo Park
30 Jan – Tokyo (Shibuya) – Shibuya Crossing, Disney Store, Nintendo Store, Pokémon Center in Shibuya
31 Jan – Tokyo – Tokyo Skytree and Solamachi shopping
1 Feb – Tokyo – teamLab Planets; afternoon/evening shopping in Akihabara
2 Feb – Hakone – Train Tokyo → Odawara, check-in at ryokan, onsen/spa afternoon and evening
3 Feb – Hakone – Hakone Ropeway, cruise on Lake Ashi (Pirate Ship)
4 Feb – Osaka – Shinkansen to Osaka, evening in Dotonbori
5 Feb – Osaka – Morning Osaka Castle, evening Abeno Harukas / Q's Mall 6
Feb – Osaka (Umeda) – Shopping in Umeda, sunset view at Umeda Sky Building
7 Feb – Kobe – Day trip to Kobe (Europe Town, Kobe beef)
8 Feb – Nara – Day trip to Nara (Todai-ji Temple, deer in Nara Park)
9 Feb – Kyoto – Day trip to Kyoto (Fushimi Inari-taisha, temples)
10 Feb – Okinawa – Flight Osaka (ITM) → Naha
11 Feb – Okinawa – Whale watching tour
12 Feb – Naha – Onoyama Park, Makishi Public Market
13 Feb – Motobu – Pick up rental car, drive north with stops at Araha Beach and Araha Park
14 Feb – Motobu – Relax day (hotel spa, swimming, Kid's Adventure Land)
15 Feb – Motobu – Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, dolphin show, Kid's Adventure Land
16 Feb – Okinawa – Day trip to Kouri Island
17 Feb – Tokyo – Flight Okinawa → Haneda Airport, overnight near airport
18 Feb – Flight Tokyo → Paris → Stockholm
My best tips traveling with kids are:
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Don't over schedule. One activity for noon and one for afternoon was enough. Have time to explore.
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Plan your activities around available playgrounds. There were plenty of amazing playground in Tokyo, Osaka and Okinawa, but you need to look them up ahead to find them.
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Have snacks ready.
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Shopping malls and stations have bathroom in case of emergencies.
Our highlights has to be:
- Whale watching. So exciting seeing the large creatures pop up!
- Teamlab Planets. Fun for the whole family and truly a unique experience.
- Tokyo Skytree. The view is out of this world
- Hakone ropeway. It was a clear day and the view of Mount Fuji and volcanic mines were breathtaking.
- Kyoto Fushimi Inari-taisha. Surprisingly this is what our 5 year old tells us was the best part. I guess the beauty of the shrines and the nature attracts young ones as well.
I also want to add that you don't have to wait for the kids to grow older to enjoy the trip!
Feel free to ask about the trip! Cheers!
by Few_Fall5352